Tulane Green Wave season ends: What's next? Where can they improve?

By Andrew Riedell

Tears were wiped on Sunday after Tulane lost in the AAC Championship Game to East Carolina at Clearwater, FL. It ended the Green Wave's season with a 33-25 record and a 13-14 conference record. This team was a tale of two distinct fortunes, offense one of the best in the conference but pitching unreliable and inconsistent outside of some key guys. Let's jump right into this.

What's next:

The Green Wave returned back to New Orleans Sunday night, and tomorrow is a new day. But, it's also the start of a new season for the coaching staff, as they have a lot of holes to fill in the ever-changing world of college sports.

Next season in D1 baseball, the roster limit is being trimmed to 34 players, but schools may also award 34 scholarships if they choose. For Tulane and its tuition around $100,000, this will likely not be the case. Multiple unofficial sources indicate a number closer to 20 scholarships. I believe this Tulane team needs to retool, hit the transfer portal, and try to land some big arms that can add to the bullpen and upgrade the starting rotation.

Similar schools like Charlotte have secured an ace pitcher in the transfer portal, and Tulane also has the NIL funds to compete with similar schools for bringing in some "big fish" if they really want to. Some possible names to watch in the portal at this time: Eddie Smink (Stony Brook Transfer), Caleb Anderson (Wichita State Transfer), and Josh Gregoire (ULM Transfer).

Tulane will also worry about losing some of their coaches, including Head Coach Jay Uhlman, who could be linked to some job openings this week as firings are announced at other schools. Uhlman signed a two-year extension with Tulane in December, but leading a team to three straight AAC Championship Game appearances will definitely see his name on published lists for other jobs. Another name to monitor for some bigger coaching opportunities is Justin Bridgman, hitting coach for the Green Wave who produced the third best offense in the AAC this season.

The Tulane lineup and pitching staff loses a lot of key contributors, the two biggest names Connor Rasmussen and Michael Lombardi both projected to be draft picks this summer. Don't be surprised to see Tayler Montiel drafted as well, with his AAC Tournament performance said to have been a booster for his draft stock.

There could be more names to add to the draft list from Tulane as time passes. From the graduating class, Tulane will lose both captains in Gavin Schulz and Carter Benbrook, but the Green Wave will also lose names like Jackson Linn, Theo Bryant IV, Henry Shuffler, Wes Burton, and others. A name to monitor in view of recent JUCO rulings is Luc Fladda, who might gain an extra year of eligibility.

The good news is that Matthias Haas is expected back for another season, getting one of his years at Cal Poly back for one last ride with the Wave. NIL wise, stars like Jason Wachs and Tanner Chun need to be secured and kept in the outfield. Wachs blossomed into a start in the second half of the year, leading the team in hitting at .335. Pitching wise, offering Montiel a deal that would persuade him to not enter the draft/portal might be worth a try, but most believe he is MLB draft bound.

Where can Tulane improve?

I personally do not expect any changes to the Tulane coaching staff. I think they did a fair job this year, but obviously, winning the AAC Championship was an unmet goal. However, each year under Coach Jay Uhlman, the Wave have been fighting for postseason play until season's end. One area for possible improvement by Uhlman is scheduling better non-conference games for RPI reasons. A 36-26 record this season is respectable, but with an RPI of 107, it didn't help Tulane's case playing 12 teams this season with RPIs of 100 or higher.

Pitching was inconsistent and at times this season, it appeared the Tulane pitching would come together. But, it was always bits and pieces, with the same four or five guys competing and doing well. The bad news is that most if not all of those are likely leaving. Nonetheless, I believe Coachs Izzio and Niemann have the proper foundations lined up to develop Tulane pitching, but it was ultimately some not executing pitches that did them in.

Riedell's Final Thoughts:

Following this Tulane team has been special all year long, especially being able to watch guys like team captain Gavin Schulz, who is a local kid and gave it his all in every game he played. It will be tough to see someone else wearing jersey #2 next year for the Green Wave. Schulz has been the perfect player worthy of wearing the captain patch for the way he has given his all for this Tulane program. Uhlman describes Gavin as a warrior, but I use these final thoughts highlighting Schulz because he has been a very special player to watch for four years. The opportunity to finally cover him in his final year at Tulane has been an awesome pleasure.

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